Asbestos mesothelioma concerns prompt inspection at vacant city-owned building

Once purchased by Aggie Development L.L.C., asbestos abatement may occur in a vacant Stillwater, Oklahoma building. The former Katz Department Store was purchased by the City of Stillwater in 2008.

Bob Bartmann and Rob Geresi have offered to pay $580,000 for the building. They hope to develop the property into a location for restaurants and retail businesses.

Since the building’s purchase in 2008, it has housed Stillwater’s Children’s Museum. It has also served as an office space for the Stillwater Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Once the children’s museum was moved, the vacant building was left without a purpose.

City Manager Dan Galloway noted that Aggie Development’s proposed purchase price would bring Stillwater close to recovering its cost to buy the building and make repairs, however, it might not cover the cost of other work that had been done to the building.

As part of the purchase agreement, Stillwater will pledge $5,000 to fund asbestos inspection, along with an additional $15,000 for possible asbestos removal.

The money for the asbestos inspection and removal will be held in an escrow account, and any unused funds will be returned to the city after five years.

If asbestos were found, abatement would occur before renovation begins. If the toxic material was not removed, the public would be at risk of contracting mesothelioma–a rare cancer which affects the mesothelium. Mesothelioma doctors diagnose 2,000-3,000 Americans each year with the disease.

Mesothelioma treatment typically comes too late for patients who fail to show symptoms of the aggressive disease for several decades.

Galloway noted that placing the building in private hands would take the burden of liability and maintenance of the city. He also hopes that, once developed, the property would serve as an anchor business for Stillwater.